Local leaders call on businesses to step up

Workforce development is tricky business; leaders want to see more local talent retained, but companies can have a hard time finding qualified talent.

A group of about 200 business and community leaders gathered at Sinclair Community College Tuesday night for a forum about how best to retain talent. While many fielded ideas, it was clear leaders and companies want to see different strategies for development.

Leaders threw out a variety of challenges and ideas to develop a strong locally-grown workforce, from more employer engagement to greater collaboration and assistance from economic development organization.

Montgomery County wants to see another 1,000 high school-age students placed locally next year, said commissioner Debbie Lieberman, after this year saw 1,250 placed through the county’s Summer Youth Works Program.

Still, 2,000 students applied but were unable to find placement, said Dan Foley, another Montgomery County commissioner.

The biggest barrier, some leaders said, was a need for students to develop “soft skills” — the ability to show up on time, dress and behave appropriately, and other skills crucial to enter the workforce. Ideas were put out to grow those skills for students in high school, which will help prepare them for the workforce by the time they can enter an internship or co-op field.

“They need the soft skills to be able to work immediately, because we put them right in there with people who need care,” said Sherri Harrick, director of human resources at Kettering Physician Network. “We need them to be almost ready to be in the workforce when they first get here.”

Bruce Langos, chief operating officer at Teradata, said giving students exposure to what the business world is like will help them, but that internship positions need to build skills that directly translate into employment in that industry.

The issue is most clear in the manufacturing industry, said Frank Beafore, executive director of SelectTech GeoSpatial.

“Over 600,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are vacant because we can’t find good matches,” Beafore said, adding that “soft skills” are the main barrier, since skilled trades workers are in high demand throughout the country as manufacturing jobs return to the U.S. from abroad.

“I’m frustrated with this collaboration piece,” Beafore said. “I’m sad we don’t see more collaboration with the (Dayton Region Manufacturers Association) and others.”